Trap



mg. 2a, 1923. 1466. 332.

F. H. CRAGO l TRAP l Filed April 1a 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 fg-winni sa?" f Aug. 28, 1923. 11,466,332

F. H. CRAGO TRAP Filed April 1s 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 f @raga/3mm@ v idatented ug. 28, 1923.

iaeaeea orsi FELX E. CRAGO, Y0I" MILLTOVN, MONTANA.

, TRAP.,

Tall/whom tmay concern. v

Be it known that I', F nLIX Calico, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Milltown, in the county of Missoula and tate of Montana, have invented av new andy .useful Trap, of which the followingis a specification.v

vThe device forming the subject matter of this application is a trap,'and oneiobject of the invention is so to improve the jaws of the trap that 'the ysame will grip and hold the animal securely ity being practically irnpossible for the animal to tear its legI out from betweenthe jaws. Another object of the invention is to provide. novel spring means for actuating the jaws. A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for holding the spring in place.V The invention aims to soV construct -the spring and the jaws, that the spring will prevent the jaws from spreading when'the trap is sprung. Y Y n i .I

It is within the provinceofthe disclosure to improve generally and to enhance .the

utility of'devices ofvthat Vtype to which. the

invention appertains.' v l lilith the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, theinvention resides in the combination and arrangement "of partsl andA in the details of construction hereinafter described' and claimed,` it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precisej embodiment of theinven'tion shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Y

ln the accompanying jdrawings ,y Figure `1 shows in topplan, a TQPQConstructed in accordance withthe invention;

Figure 2 is a Vsection on lthe line.2-2 of.'

Figure 1; Figure 3` is a plan of the, trap, the trap being sprung in Figure `3l and being set in Figure l; Figure 4 is section on the line 4--4 of Figure yFigure 5 is aV section on the line 5-5 'of Figurel; Figurelis a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 1; Figure 7 is avsection onvthe line'7-7 of Figure 1 provided at its rear'end with a bend or socket 2. Av slot Sis formed in the bend -or socket 2, and is extended intovthe body portion of the frame 1. A pivot element 4 is mounted in the s`ocket2. A connecting ele'- vment 5, such. 'as a yoke, is` carriedby [the pivot element 4,'.the socket 2 of the `trame 1 extending betweentheside arms of the yoke 5. A swivelr is carried by the rear end of the yoke 5. A chain or other flexible element may be connected to .the swivel 6.

The traine lis provided in its outer edges with shoulders 8 located slightly in ladvance of they socket '2. fThe numeral 9 marks a U-shaped expansion spring including arms v10 and 11. lThefraine 2 extends through the-arm 10, the said arm 10 being held between the shouldersv 8 and the forward end of theyoke Thejarm 10 of the spring is retained, further, by ak securingfelementide` noted generally by the'numeral 12. The l" securing .element 12 comprises a headll, a

opening y17 -The neck '16 of `the securing element 12 is `disposed 4in the' 'slotl 3 of the traine 1, the head 14 ofv the securing element liesrabove theA trarne 1 inl advance yof the Varm 10 of the spring 9, and the foot 15 of at 19 in the opening 17 Voi" theY foot'pl `of thesecuring element 12.y Adjacentv to its forward endfthe latch 18 has an openingt). A-pivotelementr21is mounted in the ltorward end of the frame` 1. An uppery ,jaw

.22 anda Vlower jaw 23 are provided, the rearends of the jaws being disposedwithin vthe'fra-me 1 andA being mounted to. swing Von'the pivot element 21". The jaws 22 and 2'3 have angular ends 24C. The jaws are-.so

shaped that, Vwhenthe trapris sprungfas';

shown in Figure 3, Vthe ,angular end 211 of o the upper aw 22 extends beneaththe angu- The trap forming the subjectwinatter of this application embodies a U-shaped .frame fin Figure 3. :The result is that the jaws an` .foot- 15 andy a reduced neck 16 connecting thehead and the toot, `the foot having an strengthened greatly, so far as their hold on the leg of the animal is concerned. The ends 24 of the jaws 22 and 23 are curved downwardly, and terminate in broadened, angularly disposed feet 26, the construction being such that the jaws will aid in supporting the trap, when the trap is set as -shown in Figure 1. In the inner edges of the jaws 22 and 23, intermediate the ends of the jaws, recesses 27 are formed. Flanges 28 project upwardly and downwardly, in opposite directions, from the jaws 22 and 23, and are located at the bases of therecesses27. rFhe jaws are provided with transverse reinforcing ribs 29, the aws being offset, so that the outer ends of the ribs forni shoulders 30, the function of which will Vbe set forth hereindie after. To the rear of the shoulders 30, the jaws 22V and 23 are supplied with straight outer edges, Ymarked by the numeral 33.

YThe arm 11 of'tflie spring 9 is provided with an opening 31 wherein the fra-ine 1 of the trap is received, when the trap is set as shown in Figure 1. The opening 31 has reduced extensions 32 at its ends. \Vlien vthe trap is sprung, as shown in Figure 3, the

arin 11 of the spring 9 advances along the straight edges .33 of the jaws 22 and 23, to abutment with the stop shoulders on the jaws. The jaws, wh'en the trap is sprung,

are received in the extensions 32 of the opening 31, as shown iny Figure 4, and, conseI-l quent-ly, the jaws cannot be sprung apart vertically,the strength of the device being At this point, it

of the flanges 28, shown in Figure 7 is to pre-vent such an indentation or cutting of the leg of the animal, that the animal can tear its leg and escape, when the. leg is gripped by the jaws. X.ihen the jaws 22 and 23 move from the open position of Figure 1 to the closed position of FigureV 3, the leg of they animal is engaged by the inner edges of the. extensions 24'of the jaws, and is passed or crowded backwardly, for engagement by the flanges 28.

The numeral 34 marks a trigger, disposed Abelow the aws 22 and 23, and loc-ated above the latch 18.` The rear endof thetrigger 34 is pivoted at 35 to the movable end of the arm 11 of the spring 9. A shaft 36 is jourv naled inthe trigger 34 Yand is provided at its upper end with affinger piece 371where-` by the shaft may be rotatedl dit its,v lower end, the shaft 36 carries a head 38 adapted lito be received in the opening 2O ofthe latch 18. In the. opposite` ends ofthe head 38,V

. notches 39 and` 4() are fashioned. The notch preferably isV more pronounced ordeeper,

y than is the notch 39.

then the trap is set, as shown in Figure 1, the jaws 22 and 23 are swung to open positions` the arm 11 of the spring 9 being., carried vvbac'lrwardly on the fra-ine 1. The head 7 trap,

l comprising arms,

f the frame,

' closing,

38 on the trigger 34 is engaged in the opening 30 ofthe. latch 18 as shown in Figure 2.

`the jaws in the position shown in Fligure 3 of t-he drawings. As the arm` 11 of the spring 9 moves forwardly, the trigger v34 moves downwardly into engagement with the ground, and serves to raise the forward end of .the trap. The forward end of the therefore is carriedV upwardly, and the leg of the animalisgripped by the jaws 22 and v23,*at a point well above the hoof, the hold of the trapon the leg of the animall being increased accordingly. The hea-d 38 on the trigger 34 may be turned end for end,

ywhen the shaft 36 is rotated by the finger piece 37. Thus, either of the notches .39 or 40 may be brought'into engagement with the latch 18, and since these notches 39 and 40 are formed differently, the trap may be so arranged that it may be sprung 'either by a light pressure. or by a considerable pressure, exertedon the trigger 3 4.

What is claimed isz- 1. A trap comprising' a frame; jaws vpivot-ed to the frame; a spring comprising an arm fixed to the frame, and anarin movable on the frame and on the jaws tov close the jaws; a latch pivoted Ygtol the'fixed arinof the spring; a trigger pivoted to the movable arm of the spring; 'and interengagingelements on the trigger and 0n the latch.

2. ln a device of the class described, a frame; jaws pivoted to the frame; a spring franie, the other of'which is movable Vwith respect, to the jaws;

of the spring; a trigger pivot'ed to the movable arni of the spring and held on the trigger and adapted'to cooperate with the latch, the head having differently shaped elements adapted to engage the latch to` adn justthe force required -tor spring the trap, the 'head being rotatable to bring either of said elementsinto engagement with the latch, at

the will of an operator. j

3. 1n a deviceof'the class described, a frame; upper and lower jaws pivoted to Vthe jaws having i angular eX- tensions,the extensions being crosse-dwhen the arms are brought together, the extension onthe upperjaw extending beneath theextension of the lower jaw when the jaws aire- `broiight together` the jawsbeing provided, j

to tlie rear* of the extensions,.with flanges increasing the thickness ofthe aws at their meeting edges; `spring means for closing the jaws; andfineans for releasing the jaws or responsive to the spring means.`

4. In a device of the class described, a

oneof which is fixed Ito the the frameV and the Yjaws to close a latch pivot-ed to the fixed arin frame; jaws pivoted to the frame, the jaws In testimony that I claim the foregoingV having angular extensions Whieh are crossedv as my own, I have hereto aixed my signa'- 1 0 when the jaws are brought together, the jaws Vture in the presence of two'witnesses. being downwardly inclined, toward their i 5 free ends; sprlng meansy for closing the FELIX H CRAGO' jaws; and mechanism for releasmg the jaws Witnesses: `for closing movement responsive to the JOSIAH SHULL, sprlng means. FREDERICK D. CHISLER. 

